Early Look
Monday, August 18, 2025
|
Futures |
Up/Down |
% |
Last |
|
Dow |
-70.00 |
0.16% |
44,970 |
|
S&P 500 |
-10.25 |
0.16% |
6,461 |
|
Nasdaq |
-39.50 |
0.17% |
23,764 |
U.S. futures edge lower following back-to-back winning weeks, while the Alaska summit between President Trump and Russian President Putin did not achieve a ceasefire, and Trump is meeting Ukraine leader Zelensky today. News this weekend dominated by President Trump, as he issued several messages on Truth Social last night after meeting Russian President Putin on Friday. President Trump issues a statement just hours before he is set to meet with Zelensky saying the Ukrainian leader “can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to.” Trump says there is “no getting back Crimea and no going into NATO by Ukraine.” The President also said he was “thrilled to be hosting several European leaders tomorrow.” Meanwhile key events for investors to keep an eye on this week include Fed Chairman Powell’s Jackson Hole speech on Friday, along with earnings results from retailers Wal-Mart (WMT) and Home Deport (HD) this week. As for last week, the S&P 500 climbed 0.94%, the Dow climbed 1.74%, the Nasdaq climbed 0.81%, and the Russell 2000 gained 3.07%. In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index gained 336 points to 43,714, the Shanghai Index rose 31 points to 3,728, and the Hang Seng Index fell -93 points to 25,176. In Europe, the German DAX is down -78 points to 24,281, while the FTSE 100 is down -8 points to 9,130. Bitcoin is down -2.1% to $115,213 and Ethereum -4.2% at $4,282 as crypto assets slip, while gold and oil prices advance. Earnings reports are expected Monday from Palo Alto Networks, Fabrinet, and XP Inc.
Market Closing Prices Yesterday
- The S&P 500 Index dipped -18.74 points, or 0.29%, to 6,449.80
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 34.86 points, or 0.08%, to 44,946.12
- The Nasdaq Composite dropped -87.69 points, or 0.40%, to 21,622.98
- The Russell 2000 Index declined -12.56 points, or 0.55% to 2,286.52
Economic Calendar for Today
- 10:00 AM ET NAHB Housing Market Index for August
Earnings Calendar:
- Earnings Before the Open: BTDR CBAT CRGO RSKD
- Earnings After the Close: API BLNK FLXS FN NYXH PANW WALD XP
Other Key Events:
- Needham 14th Annual Needham Virtual Industrial Tech, Robotics, & Clean Tech 1×1 Conference, 8/18-8/19
|
Macro |
Up/Down |
Last |
|
Nymex |
0.20 |
63.00 |
|
Brent |
0.28 |
66.13 |
|
Gold |
11.60 |
3,394.20 |
|
EUR/USD |
-0.0023 |
1.1680 |
|
JPY/USD |
0.24 |
147.43 |
|
10-Year Note |
-0.033 |
4.295% |
World News
- Foreign holdings of U.S. Treasuries rose to record peaks in June, topping $9 trillion for a fourth straight month, data from the Treasury Department showed on Friday. Holdings of U.S. Treasuries climbed to $9.13 trillion in June, up from $9.05 trillion in May. Compared with a year earlier, Treasuries owned by foreigners were up nearly $1 trillion, or 10% higher.
- Goldman Sachs says S&P 500 companies beat forecasts this earnings season, with Q2 EPS up 11% vs. 4% expected. About 60% beat estimates by wide margins, one of the strongest seasons on record. Firms offset tariffs by cutting costs, reshaping supply chains, and passing prices to consumers, while a weaker dollar boosted sales. Analysts warn smaller companies may face more risk from slowing sales growth.
Sector News Breakdown
Consumer
- Six Flags (FUN) has had a “nightmare” of a summer following its merger with Cedar Fun due to severe thunderstorms and excessive heat, new rides being delayed, competition from new rivals, quality issues and economic uncertainty, the WSJ reported.
- Soho House (SHCO) has entered into definitive agreements pursuant to which an investor group led by MCR and its Chairman and CEO Tyler Morse will acquire the outstanding shares of Soho House not held by certain significant shareholders. Holders of common stock will receive $9.00 per share in cash in $2.7B deal.
- Tesla (TSLA) almost halves UK monthly lease fee as sales slump. Tesla has been forced to offer discounts of up to 40% to car leasing companies to shift more units, the Times reported.
Energy, Industrials and Materials
- China July aluminium imports surge 38% from prior year.
- CSX Corp. (CSX) temporarily rerouted trains following a 28-car derailment on August 17 in Enfield, North Carolina; conducting thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident. CSX confirmed that there were no injuries, no hazardous materials were released from Enfield, North Carolina derailment
- Nano Nuclear Energy (NNE) downgraded to Sell from Buy at Ladenburg.
- Nextracker (NXT) upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Guggenheim with $74 tgt.
- Solar stocks extend last Friday’s gains, as First Solar (FSLR) was up 3% and Sunrun (RUN) climbed 3.3% after the Trump administration released new guidance on clean energy tax credits Friday that were better than feared for solar companies.
- The Trump administration added 407 derivative product codes to the list of goods subject to the 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Reuters reports. Some publicly traded companies in the steel space include ArcelorMittal (MT), Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF), Nucor (NUE), and Steel Dynamics (STLD).
Financials
- Thoma Bravo is in talks to acquire Dayforce (DAY), Ryan Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The firm is working on a take-private deal that could be announced as soon as the coming weeks https://tinyurl.com/4hp36nvb
- US Bank deposits fell to $18.327 trln from $18.348 trln in the prior week.
Healthcare
- Eli Lilly (LLY) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Daiwa.
- Novo Nordisk (NVO) got US approval for its weight-loss drug Wegovy to treat a serious liver condition.
- Tonix Pharma (TNXP) shares rise after saying the FDA approved its drug to manage pain related to a type of chronic condition called fibromyalgia. The non-opioid drug, to be sold under the brand Tonmya will be available by the fourth quarter.
Technology, Media & Telecom
- Wedbush’s Dan Ives released the “Ives AI 30” which include: MSFT, GOOGL, AMZN, ORCL in “Hyperscaler”, PLTR, CRM, IBM, NOW, SNOW, PEGA, MDB, SOUN, INOD in “Software”, BABA, AAPL, META, BIDU, RBLX in “Consumer Internet”, PANW, ZS, CRWD in “Cybersecurity”, TSLA, OKLO, GEV in “Autonomous/Robotic and Power” and NVDA, AMD, TSM, AVGO, MU and NBIS in “Semiconductor/Hardware.”
- Foxconn plans to manufacture data center equipment with Softbank at the company’s former EV factory in Ohio, Reuters reports. Softbank has purchased the Lordstown site and Foxconn plans to continue operating there through a venture the two companies will create.
Market commentary provided by Hammerstone Markets, Inc, a firm separate from and not affiliated with Regal Securities. Regal Securities has not participated in the creation of the content, and does not explicitly or implicitly endorse the content.